micknbeck

HI All,

First time posting, many times reading.

Just to start off, I'm an Aussie the little lady is from Manchester. Married 5 years this Nov 28th no kids, 3 years in the UK nearly 2 here.

I'm a travel agent and i've been very lucky to work in both the UK and Australia so no issues there. The little lady has been doing it really hard the last 18 month's.

So far since we have been back I've been moved 3 times around Queensland with work which has put an even bigger strain on her trying to stay in the one job long enough to meet people and try to accept the changes from the UK.


In the last 8 month's since we moved down to the Goldcoast the little lady has been applying for over 100 jobs. In that time she has had a over 10 interviews and not one of them has given her the respect to call back let her know how she went. We can read between the lines, after 3 weeks no response no job

I just wanted to know if its just us or is it normal for companies down here not to give a shit.

Any one else have this problem and any idea's on how to get around it before the little lady goes postal.

Mick

Kingseat

I think it is an Australian thing. I've applied for quite a few jobs and all but 2 have failed to even acknowledge I have submitted an application. Highly rude if you ask me but hey ho.

Dorothy

Ok. First thing is stop being condesending calling her "the little lady". Is she truly little or is this just your way of showing her who's boss at your house? Does she call you "the little man"?

Second, what kind of job is she looking for? What experience does she have? Those things might be important for whether she is qualified for the jobs she's applying/interviewing for.

micknbeck

Hi

Didn't mean to upset you. I call her the little lady because I'm 6ft and 115Kg

Rebecca is 5ft 6 and about 52kgs.


When you apply for a role you have done for the last 7 years in the UK and yet over here they dont even bother to respond after you have an interview.

Is this normal or have I been out of the country too long.

Mick.

JackTheLad

I applied once for a job in the Queensland Police department (not as a policeman just as a techie), they wrote back 6 months later to say I had failed their criteria. 6 months!!

I was really tempted to write back and say I'd been sitting around for 6 months waiting for their reply before I would apply for another job.

But of course I didn't. Still it is pretty crappy to wait 6 months to tell someone they're not getting an interview.

JTL

irishbloo

So if you call her little lady does she call you big boy.

HelenTD

Hi micknbeck, I can sympathise, it's happened to me many times. So many organistions, even with HR depts, just don't bother to reply. It took me 4 years of looking before I got a regular job in Perth. When I first came here it was also at the start of a recession and I definitely felt that I wasn't welcome, it didn't matter how skilled I was. At the time, there was a strong anti-British feeling around. I had a series of boring and low paid jobs for several years, usually as an office temp, way below my skill level, sent here, there and everywhere at a moment's notice. As so many Perth people worked in the same job in the same company for 10+ years, they couldn't understand my background. I wasn't treated too well and I couldn't put down any roots or start building a network of friends. I watched the other female workers go off to lunch together, but never got invited . Sometimes I had to man the switchboard while they gallivanted off . I decided to study so that I could set up my small business and have some control over my life. What does Rebecca do?

micknbeck

Na normally it's just Fatboy. But dieting will be my next post.

micknbeck

Beck has over 8 years experience in Customer Services and Credit Management. So we think its really weird why no replies when the jobs she applies for are in her field.

She just had another interview the other day for a role in customer services and they advised she would be notified on Monday. 10 days ago and still waiting.

HelenTD

A good example of why that company needs someone experienced in customer service! In Perth, customer service is known to be patchy at best, non-existent at worst. "They", the Wozzies, just don't get it. In a boom it's even worse, as they don't need to win your dollars as a customer, there's so much money sloshing around. We've had some real Basil Fawlty moments in restaurants and cafes . I remember going to see someone at a fed/state govt careers advice place where they did free testing and advised on different courses you could do. So I enrolled in a degree and left my old work behind. Possibly she might have to consider doing something else, a change can add to the stress levels initially, but lead to more choices in the long run. Don't give up yet.

micknbeck

Thanks for the advice, we wont give up either. The right job will fall into place when we least expect it and we will look back on this an laugh in a year or two.

How did you find the fed/state govt career courses ?? Beck was advised that as her visa is a spouse one and it goes PR in Mar 2010 then she would have to wait until then for most jobs with the Govt??

australianinleicester

To be honest, it is unacceptable to not be in contact when you have actually been for an interview, I assume they were applied directly to the company and not via a recruiter, either way you should have asked at the end of the interview when will you hear from them, and if you do not by their given time, you should be on the phone to them and find out, if they can't give an answer you need to ask why and ask some probing questions (nicely)
I am not having a go at you for anything it is just the all part of the proceedure and interview technique, its a tough business and you need to be tough too.

HelenTD

I went to the careers service because I had no idea of where my skills, personality and interests could lead and I had never done a degree before. It wasn't a service that recruited for govt jobs, just had info about courses and did free testing and an interview with the advisor. Have a look at this link, you might find something useful there:
http://www.australia.gov.au/topics/e...er-information

micknbeck

HI

Beck sent a further email chaser when she hadn't heard anything and still no reply.
I wanted to front up to the business and ask why but It would be embarrassing for her if i did though

Mick

micknbeck

Hi Helen,

Thanks again for your advice Beck is reading this ans is going to check it out in the morning as it just past midnight now.

Thanks again

Mick